1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shelf apparatus wherein the vertical supports are connected to the horizontal shelf members by means of an expansible, compressible plug.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shelving devices made from every day articles are known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, cinder blocks and bricks are frequently used as a very rudimentary support between flat boards which serve as a horizontal shelf. Such construction is sometimes found on modern college and university campuses. Occasionally other everyday items are used too. The May, 1976 edition of GLAMOUR Magazine discloses a glass-topped table and a beer bar in which the vertical supports comprise a plurality of stacked beer cans all firmly connected together with a General Electric clear silicone caulk and seal. While the approaches just described are quite inexpensive, they are frequently unstable due to the fact that the vertical support is not firmly attached to the horizontal shelving unit. In addition, everyday items such as beer cans, bricks and cinder blocks may vary in height, thereby causing the shelving unit to incline away from the true horizontal position.
There are devices known for firmly attaching a vertical support to a horizontal shelf member. Engman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,801 discloses an "Article of Furniture" in which molded, polymeric inserts are employed as an attaching means between the vertical supports and the horizontal shelves. The inserts described therein appear to be relatively rigid and therefore not compressible or expansible. Accordingly, such at attachment can only accomodate vertical supports having a predetermined interior dimension. The Engman device does not appear to disclose a universal type of insert or adapter which will accomodate irregular or tapered vertical supports. Even if the supports in the Engman invention were designed with flexibility, it is doubtful if there other structural characteristics would allow them to be used for the purposes of the present invention. Laconte, U.S. Pat. No. 1,431,823 discloses a "Demountable Article of Furniture with Multiple Combinations" having a structure similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,801. Of similar interest also are Mitchell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,187 and Herrschaft, U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,822.
It is known to those of ordinary skill in the art that bottles and glass objects exhibit good mechanical strength against vertical loads. For example, it is well known that cases of bottles can be stacked to a relatively great height without significant injury to the bottles themselves. Patterson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,395 and Barrnieau, U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,203 disclose devices which take advantage of the vertical stacking strength of glass bottles. While the stacking strength of bottles has been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, there use as a support for shelving has been severely limited by the lack of a suitable method for attaching the bottle to the shelving itself. Accordingly, glass or glass bottle supported bookcases are not commonly known in the prior art.
Glass bottles have also been used for decorative support purposes in conjunction with electric lights and lamps. A light manufactured by Cable Electric Products, Inc. of Providence, R.I. 02907 is now available on the market which permits an electric light fixture to be attached to a glass bottle which serves as its base. The fixture is held in the mouth of the bottle by a molded, vertically finned cylinder which acts in a manner similar to a cork.